Sterile status indicator by means of phase change

A sterile state indication means for a sterilization container comprising:

• a fluid-tight case containing a phase change material, wherein the case wall of the case comprises at least one transparent zone, and
• an activator which can be actuated in order to release an activation energy and/or crystallization seeds, the activator being in contact with the phase change material,
• wherein the phase change material and the transparent zone are adapted to each other such that the phase change material is non-transparent through the transparent zone when it is in a solid state and becomes transparent through the transparent zone when it is in a liquid state, and
• wherein a labeling and/or color marking is provided so as to be opposite the transparent zone of the case wall.

A sterilization container comprising a container trough and a container lid, comprising:

• a sterile state indication means comprising:
• a fluid-tight case containing a phase change material, wherein the case wall of the case comprises at least one transparent zone, and
• an activator which can be actuated in order to release an activation energy and/or crystallization seeds, the activator being in contact with the phase change material, wherein the sterile state indication means is provided either on the container trough or on the container lid, and the activator, in the closed state of the sterilization container, is in direct or indirect connection with the respectively other element among container trough and container lid,
• wherein the container lid or the container trough comprises a pivotable closure lug and the activator, in the closed state of the closure lug, is in direct or indirect connection with the closure lug,
• wherein the activator is a spring element which is realized according to the clicker principle and arranged in the case wall of the fluid-tight case, the spring element being in a pretensioned state in the closed state of the closure lug and/or of the sterilization container, and
• wherein the spring element, in the closed state of the closure lug, is in connection with a lateral surface of the closure lug by means of an elastically supported actuation element.